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How to hang outdoor Christmas lights on a house, gutters, fence and front door (safely)
The safe way to hang outdoor Christmas lights on a house is to use outdoor-rated LED sets with the transformer kept indoors, plastic gutter clips or shingle clips rather than nails or staples, a plan that starts at the socket, and a timer so nothing is left on all night. Measure the run first, buy a set that reaches with the lead to spare, and never join indoor sets together outside. This guide covers gutters and fascias, the roofline, windows, the front door, fences and the garden, with the Premier ranges that suit each job.
Which lights can go outside?
Only sets rated for outdoor use. All the Premier lights at Sapcote Garden Centre, from the 80-LED SupaBrights to the 5,000-LED TreeBrights and ClusterBrights, are indoor and outdoor rated: the string and the LEDs are sealed, and the mains part is a low-voltage transformer that stays indoors or in a weatherproof box. The three things to check on any set: the outdoor rating on the box, the length of the lead between the plug and the first light (10m on most Premier sets, which is what lets the transformer stay indoors), and the lit length, so you know how much wall or roof it covers. Outdoor Christmas lights are a separate category on our site for this reason.
Plan the run before you buy
- Find the power. An indoor socket near a window or the front door, with the lead passed through the window frame or a letterbox, or an outdoor socket with a weatherproof cover. Never run a mains extension lead outside unless it is an outdoor-rated one in a weatherproof box.
- Measure the run with a tape or a length of string: along the gutter, down the edge of the porch, across the top of the window. Add 10 to 20 per cent for sag and corners.
- Choose the set to match: a 2,000-LED TreeBrights set is 50m long and a 1,000-LED set 25m; SupaBrights are spaced wider, so a 480-LED set runs 38m; icicle sets cover 7.5 to 25m of gutter depending on the set; cluster lights cover less distance per LED because they are dense (2,000 LEDs on 25m).
- Buy the clips at the same time: gutter clips, fascia clips, shingle clips for a tiled roof edge, suction hooks for windows, cable ties for railings and fences.
Gutters and fascias
Gutter clips hook over the lip of the gutter and hold the cable in a small hook, every 30 to 50cm, so the lights hang straight or drape evenly. Icicle lights are made for this: a straight cable along the gutter with lit drops hanging below it. Start at the end nearest the socket, clip the cable along the gutter, and let the lead drop down the wall to the window or door. Do not staple or nail the cable, which breaks the insulation, and do not run it along the gutter where water sits.
The roofline and the eaves
For the sloping edge of a roof use shingle clips, which slide under the tiles, or the same gutter clips on the fascia board. Work from a ladder with someone footing it and never lean out; the rule roofers use is that if you cannot reach it comfortably from the ladder, move the ladder. Cluster lights or SupaBrights run along the roofline look stronger than icicles at a distance; icicles look best on a straight gutter.
Windows and the front door
A string of SupaBrights or a light-up FlexiBright shape (star, snowflake, tree) in a window runs off an indoor socket, so these are the easiest outdoor-look lights to fit. Round a window outside, use suction hooks on the glass or clips on the frame; round a door, run the cable over the frame and down each side with hooks, and hang a pre-lit wreath on the door itself, usually battery powered.
Fences, railings and the garden
Along a fence or railing, cable-tie the string every 50cm or wind it along the top rail; for a hedge or a tree, see our guide to Christmas lights for outdoor trees and hedges. In a garden with no socket, solar sets are an option but are dim in December; battery sets in a weatherproof battery box are the better choice for a short run.
Safety, in six lines
- Outdoor-rated sets only, with the transformer indoors or in a weatherproof box.
- One set per socket outlet unless the set is made to connect; do not daisy-chain indoor sets.
- Clips, hooks and ties, never nails or staples through the cable.
- Keep the lead out of puddles and gutters and away from where it can be trodden on or trapped in a door.
- Use the built-in timer so the lights go off each night; every Premier set we stock has one.
- Take them down in January, dry, and store them coiled, not knotted.
Which Premier set for which job?
| Job | Set | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Gutter or straight roof edge | Icicle lights | Straight cable, lit drops below it; white is the classic choice |
| Roofline, long runs, round the house | TreeBrights 1,000 to 5,000 LEDs (25 to 125m) or SupaBrights 80 to 480 LEDs (6 to 38m) | Long lit lengths with a long lead; SupaBrights are the bigger, brighter LED spaced further apart |
| Porch, pillars, garden trees | ClusterBrights | Dense glow for wrapping |
| Windows and gable ends | FlexiBright shapes and FlexiBrights rope-style sets | Shaped silhouettes, bend to fit |
| Door wreath, no socket | Battery pre-lit wreath or battery string | No lead to route |
All 240 Premier sets are online with live stock and most are running on the display at Sapcote Garden Centre, Hinckley Road, Sapcote, Leicester LE9 4LG, two minutes from junction 2 of the M69. Our Christmas team will measure a run with you from a photo of the house.
Quick answers
How do you attach Christmas lights to gutters?
With plastic gutter clips that hook over the gutter lip every 30 to 50cm and hold the cable; never nails or staples. Icicle lights are designed for gutters.
Can indoor Christmas lights be used outside?
No. Only sets marked as outdoor rated, with the transformer kept indoors or in a weatherproof box. All the Premier sets at Sapcote Garden Centre are indoor and outdoor rated.
How many outdoor lights do I need for the front of a house?
Measure the gutter and roofline and add 10 to 20 per cent; a 2,000-LED TreeBrights set covers 50m of run, a 480-LED SupaBrights set 38m, and icicle sets cover 7.5 to 25m of gutter each.
Where does the transformer go for outdoor lights?
Indoors, with the 10m lead passed through a window or door, or in a weatherproof box at an outdoor socket. The transformer is the only mains part of the set.
Should outdoor Christmas lights be left on all night?
No. Use the timer built into the controller so they run six hours and switch off; it is safer and the electricity for a season of LED lights is only a few pounds anyway.
Andrew Porwol is an expert on gardening, plants, garden design, and outdoor furniture. He is the owner of Sapcote Garden Centre, Sharnford Garden Centre, and Garden Centre Shopping. He’s regularly featured in expert publications, like Forbes, MSN, and Better Homes & Gardens.
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